Cut-off attachment for cigarette machines



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G. A. PEPLE. JR

CUT-OFF ATTACHMENT FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed August 28, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 9 1926.

- G. A. PEPLE, JR

CHMENT FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES CUT -OFF ATTA Filed August 28. 1924 l Ple JW.

March 9 1926.

' 1,576,064 G. A. PEPLE, JR

CUT-0FF ATTACHMENT FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed August 28, 1924 w13' I' 'la Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

,. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.;

CUT-'OFF ATTACHMENT FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES.

l Application inea August 2s, 1924. serial Nd. 734,708.

To 'aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn A. PEPLE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of 'Viigiiiia, have invented a new and useful Cut-Off Attachment for Cigarette Machin-es, of which the following is a specification.l

This invention relates to an attachment for cutting off' uniform lengths from a cigarette rod delivered from a cigarette machine of the ordinary type, one ofthe objects ofthe invention being to provide a cut` oft' mechanism which will operate continuously, cutting the rod into cigarettes and delivering them into a suitable container, the cuts being clean and accurate.

A further object is to provide a novel means for conveying the cigarette rod to the cut-0E mechanism and subsequently delivering the cigarettes to a container.

A further object is to provide cutting mechanism utilizing a series of cutting disks all of which rotate continuously about axes parallel with the longitudinal center of the cigarette rod, the disks being maintained in proper position relative to the rod at all times kduring their movement to or from the cutting positions, v j

Another object is to'provide an attachment of this character which is simple and compact in construction, will not readily get out of order, and will operate elficiently at all times.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the VinventionV resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention herein 'disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form 'of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe attachment, a portion of the housing being removed and a part of the structure being shown in section.V f

Fig. 2 is 'an end elevation of the attachment, parts being broken away.

' Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the attachment, `a portion o f the cigarette machine being shown by broken lines.

Fig. t is an enlarged vertical transverse section through a portion of the carrier of the cut-off.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of the gearing'. i

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing a portion of the mechanism for driving one of the cuteofls.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of a modificationof the cigarette carrier or ledger.

Fig. 8 is a. perspective view of one of the links of the carrier shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one ofthe conveyor' or ledger links shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section therethrough. F ig. 11 a section through the housing shown in Fig. 6, the adjacent mechanism beingin elevation. f

'Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the housing of the attachment in which is journaled a transverse shaft 2 having' a worm gear 3 adapted to bc driven by a worm 4 carried by a shaft v5 extending from the cigarette machine which has been shown generally at M. Shaft 2 is provided with a gear 6 which, as shown particularlyY in Fig. 3, meshes with intermediate gears 7, one of whichvhas a sprocket 8 connected thereto so as to rotate therewith. 'The gears 7 mesh .with smaller gears 9, each of which is Asecured to ashaft 10 eX* tending transversely in the housing 1 and provided at one end with a sprocket 11 of novel construction. This sprocket isprovided with spaced annular flanges 12 inter sect'ed atregular intervals byvrecesses 13 so that the flanges thus produce elongated teeth or projections. The anges are spaced apart sufficient distances to receive between them the links of a. carrieror ledger shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 9. Each link has a longitudinal channel 14 in its outer face and a pair of ears 15 'extending from one end. The ears on each link are adapted torfit in .recesses 16 in the next adjoining link and are connected to said link by pins 17v on which are mounted small rollers 18. As lshown in Fig. 3 the links are so proportioned that the rollers 1S will project into the recesses 13 while the links extend between the elongated teeth or projections 12 formed bythe Y to be understood that other forms may be used. i Forqexamplei and asshown injFigs. 7 and 8 `the sprockets can be provided with V-shaped teeth 2O instead of elongated teeth fveyor.

or projections such as shown in Fig. 3.

`VVheie sprockets of this shape are used the links are preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.l Each link includes a block 211having aglongitudinal channel- 22 in its out-er face while ears`23 extend from` one end. i These ears are adapted to extend into recesses 24 formed in the next adjoining link to which they are connected by` a pin 25 having rollers 2G thereon.` The blocks arearranged in pairs, the blocks or links of each pair normally abutting at one end as shown at 27whileuoneend of one'block or link ofueach pair isbeveledasat 28. "Thus an angular recess 29`is provided between adjoining pairs of links. The` teeth 2O are adapted to project between the rollers 26 and the distance between the recesses 29 is equaltoV the length of the cigarettes to be cut. In the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the links are approximately one-half the :length of each link shown 'in Figs. 3 and 9. Y'

i. The upper portion of the conveyor or ledger made up 4of the links is disposed in line with so. that whenacigarette rod R isdelivered `from the Vmachine. it, willbe directed onto and be supported by the ledger, or` con- The mechanism is so timed that this conveyor will travel at the sainel speed as the ejected cigarette rod, the proper timing be- Hingaffected by themechanism employed for 4transmitting motion to the conveyor or ledger from the cigarette machine.

` 4 The sprocket S'diives an endless chain 30 which serves to `transmit motion to small sprockets 31 securedto transverse shafts 'tolengage the cigaretteiod as shown in .Fig. 3 and facilitate the movement thereof with :the conveyor or ledger. The sprockets and chain vas'wellastlie gearing for driving Athesame are so timed that the peripheral speedkof the wheels 33will be the saine as the speed of movement `of the conveyor or f Vledger cooperating` with the wheels.

`The gear 6; meshes with a gear 34 and this in turn drives a gear 35 secured to a shaft 436 Journaled in a suitable standard 37.

Another gear 38 is secured to the other end of this shaft 36. Gear 35 meshes witha gear 39 secured to a shaft 40 and this shaft ex- 'tends through a fix-ed sleeve 41 secured in the standard. A-gear42 is secured to and rotates with the shaft 40. Mounted for rotation on thesleeve is a hub 43 extending from a disk 44 andrto this hub is secured a gear 45 which meshes with the gear 38. A

head 46|is secured to the sleeve 41 so as to be held against rotation and on thishead is joui'iialed a gear 47 which mesheswith the gear 42 and-serves to"ti"ansniit 'iiioti'onfto a gear 48. f Tliislast nainedgear is secured toV extending from one end of a shaft54. ."Tlie shafts are parallel and are mounted in;A the marginal portion of `disk 50. 4"lhese"shafts extend laterally from disk'() and as the two y disks 44 and 50 rotate at the saine speed the crank arms 52 attached to the shafts will `tend to hold theshafts against rotation while disk 50 revolves. In other words the shafts 54 are free to movewitlidisk 50 about shaft n y n i M i l51 but will not rotate about their own axes. the deliveryontlet ofthe cigarette machine Each shaft 54 is provided atits outerend journaled a shaft 56 to l the outer end of which `is secured @a cutting dijsk"57. This 'shaft has a pinion `58 meshing with a pinion 59 secured toa tubular shaft`601jo`urnaled on shaft 54 and provided witha gear 51.` The gears 61 ofthe several tubular shafts engage a stationary ring gear 62 fixedly `nniunted onthe lixed shaft 51`and'in -thehousing`-63 which normally conceals disks 44 and 50 and the'parts associated 5 therewith. i `parallel planes and are parallel with the line Allgof the shafts "56 lie "in of movement of the cigarette rod R. Conse quently all of the cutting disks 57 are constantly parallel and pei'pendicular.` to the line hof uinoveiii'ent `ofthe cigarette rod. These relative positions remain unchanged during the movement of the shaftsf54, 60 and; dabout the axis of the disk 50.

In the operation of thev inachinethe main shaft 5 will drive the gears as hereinbefore pointed out so that` the endless conveyor or ledger made up ofthe `links 14` or `21 will carry the ejectedfcigarette'rod overthetable 19 `and beneath the cutting disks 57 This movement of the yrod will be facilitated by the grooved wheels 33. lAs "the disks 44 empa and rotate the b'utabut different centers y the constantly parallel ciernes' 52 will maintaining shafts 56 horizontal so that the cutting `disks 57Vwill be this rotation of diskOthe gears 61 will travel kalong gear 62 "so as to rotate shafts and drive the cutting disks at a high speed. Consequently as each disk descends into contact with the cigarette rod it will sever it, the parts being so timed that the disk will enter the space between two of the links of the conveyor or ledger. The severed cigarettes will be carried away from the cutters by the conveyor or ledger and will ultimately be directed into a hopper 64 and thence to a receiver. It will be noted that the groove in the rear end of each ledger link is so shaped that as the link starts to move downwardly about its supporting sprocket the distance between the bottom of the grooved wheel 33 above said sprocket and the bottom of the groove in the link of the ledger will remain the same. Thus the cigarette will not be pinched but will be slid straight out onto the troughv65 leading to the hopper 64.

As before pointed out each link or each pair of links of the conveyor or ledger has a perpendicular face or'end indicated, forexample, at 66 in FigiL 9 and 67 in Fig. 8. The parts are so timed that as each cutting disk descends to sever the cigarette rod it will cooperate with or work against one of these vertical faces to render the shearing operation more efficient.

l/Vhat is claimed is l. In a cut-ofi' for cigarette machines, a continuously moving conveyor for supporting a cigarette rod, a rotatable series of cutters, means for maintaining the cutters perpendicularly to the cigarette rod, means for rotating the series of cut-ters about a common axis to bring them successively into engagement with the supported rod, and means operated by the rotation of the cutters about said axis to revolve the cutters about individual axes.

2. In a cut-off for cigarette machines, a conveyor for supporting a cigarette rod mounted for continuous right line movement, a cut-off disk, means for moving the disk continuously and at uniform speed in a circle in a plane parallel with the direction of movement of the conveyor, means for holding the disk perpendicular to the cigarette rod during its movement in a circle, and means for rotating the disk about its individual axis during the circular movement thereof.

3. In a cut-off for cigarette machines, a continuously moving conveyor for supporting a cigarette rod` a plurality of cut-ofi' disks, means Ifor moving the disks continuously in si c'iifcl alioiit a c m'inon center', means for maintaining the disks perpendicular to the cigarette rod during` their movement about cente'r, and means operated by the circular inoviiieiit ofA the disk Vfor rotating tlii'c'iii about tlieir individual 4. Iii a cutoff for cigarette machines th vcom'binati'oii with-a conveyor for Lsupporting a. cigarette rod,.said conveyor including links having perpendicular ends, of a. cut-oil' disk mounted for rotation in a circle, means for maintaining the disk perpendicular to the conveyor during such rotation, and means for rotating the disk about its individual axis during the rotation thereof, said disk cooperating with one of the perpendicular ends ofthe conveyor links to shear off the cigarette rod.

5. In a cut-off for cigarette machines the Y combination with a conveyor for supporting a cigarette rod, said conveyor having links with perpendicular ends, of a plurality of cut-ofi' disks mounted for movement in a circle about a common center, means for maintaining the disks perpendicular to the conveyor during their movement in a circle,

and means operated by the movement of the disks in a circle. for rotating them about individual axes and bringing them successively into cooperation with the perpendicular ends of the links to .shear 0H material in the paths thereof.

6. In a cut-olf for cigarette machines the combination with disks mounted Ifor simultaneous rotation about parallel non-alining axes, of arms connecting the disks and journaled thereon, means for rotating the disks simultaneously to maintain the arms parallel, cut-off disks, connections between the cut-ofil disks and the arms for maintaining said cut-ofi'.l disks perpendicular during the rotation of the first named disks.

7. In a cut-off for cigarette machines the combination with disks mounted for simultaneous rotation about parallel non-alining axes, of arms connecting the disks and journaled thereon, means for rotating the disks simultaneously to maintain the arms parallel, cut-off disks, connections between the cut-off disks and the arms for maintainingl said cut-oil' disks perpendicular during the rotation of the iirst named disks, a shalft operatively connected to each cut-olf disk, a gear thereon, and a stationary gear conf stantly in mesh with the gears of the cutofi1 disks for rotating themduring the move ment of the disks about a common center.

8. In a cut-olf for cigarette machines the combination of a conveyor including pivotally connected ledger links, each link having a groove, and wheels overhanging the conveyor for holding the cigarette rod in the grooves, the bottom of one end of the groove in each link being rounded, whereby a cigarette passing between a grooved wheel and a link at L point Where the link changes' its di- `straidling cigarettes supportedbythe links, recton of movement, Will continue on in a1: r:Lnlulneans `fQr diving thewwheelsiand con- 10 vstraight line.

. l ,n i ififeybf 4Soulan;flafh: cigafettefengagmg faces 9. In a cut-01T for Cigarette machines the Wilgl travel attli saine s"peecl. 4

combination `with a conveyor including In elftilnoliywtlitl clainithe fqeging asv pivotally connectlinks eacyh` having na. l01m,UIjliwmr hereto aiixl myfsignatni'e. 1cigairette l10ldinggroove of grooved wheels 1V Y GUSTAVEA. PEPLEJR,

extending into the `ggfroovlas of the links and 

